Prospect Handbook 2009
Well gentleman, it's that time of year. I present to you the 3rd annual HFNHL Prospect Handbook. The handbook, as in previous years, contains a Top 50 Prospect list, Organizational Rankings, and a top 10 prospect list for each team. For reference sake, here are 2008 and 2007's issues. Here's a review of how each was accumulated: 1. Top 50 List I had worked on a couple of these lists for HF in my time as a writer for them. I used the same method HF did. Thanks to those that sent in lists! They were Myself, Tony, Matt Kowalchuk, Ryan Yessie, Sean Keogh, Jeff Kirk, Zac Neice, Matt Gledhill, Doug Emerson, and Ville.. Every player had their ranking averaged out. Players NOT receiving a ranking from a particular list would receive a ranking of 60 as part of their average from that list. To break ties, preference was given to the player who had received the highest individual ranking from a list. Ok, as per what constitutes a prospect, the following criteria was used: 1) Player must be 25 years OR younger as per December 31, 2009 (meaning 1984 and up born players are eligible). 2) Skaters cannot have played more than 50 games of NHL action previous to the 2009-10 NHL season. Goalies cannot have played more than 25 games. This means that current NHL rookies (ala John Tavares) were still eligible! 3) Players can be on teams prospect lists or rosters. It does not matter. This is to allow any player eligible under the above criteria to be included, regardless of whether they have been signed as undraftees or depth(for example Jonas Gustavson). There was a total of 114 players who received a ranking! Players who did not manage to crack the top 50 list are listed in the Honorable Mentions category. The Honorable Mentions are broken down according to how many votes they received. 2. The Organizational Rankings This list was compiled completely by myself and thus it is strictly my opinion on the matter. Obviously there were a lot of close calls and a lot of these teams are pretty damn close. 3. Top 10 Prospects by Team Again these lists were compiled by accord of my own opinion, except for in the instance of players appearing on the top 50 list. They were obviously ranked accordingly. Obviously, similar to the top 50 list, the same prospect criteria were used. Without further delay, here is the finished product! __________________________________________________ ____________ HFNHL Top 50 Prospects 1. John Tavares 2. Victor Hedman 3. Zach Bogosian 4. Matt Duchene 5. James Van Riemsdyk 6. Tyler Myers 7. Alex Pietrangelo 8. Semyon Varalmov 9. Cody Hodgson 10. Tuukka Rask 11. Claude Giroux 12. Evander Kane 13. Magnus Paarjarvi-Svensson 14. Nikita Filatov 15. Oliver Ekman-Larsson 16. Dimitri Kulikov 17. Jakub Markstrom 18. Brayden Schenn 19. Jonathan Bernier 20. Colin Wilson 21. John Carlson 22. Jordan Eberle 23. Erik Karlsson 24. Karl Alzner 25. Niklas Bergfors 26. Michael Del Zotto 27. Ondrej Pavelec 28. Jamie Benn 29. Derrick Brassard 30. Lars Eller 31. Nazem Kadri 32. Jared Cowen 33. Ryan O'Reilly 34. Cory Schneider 35. Mikael Backlund 36. Thomas Hickey 37. Evgeni Grachev 38. Jordan Schroeder 39. Artem Anisimov 40. Luca Sbisa 41. Zach Boychuk 42. Logan Couture 43. Kevin Shattenkirk 44. Matias Tedenby 45. Chet Pickard 46. Chris Kreider 47. Jhonas Enroth 48. Cody Franson 49. Max Pacioretty 50. P.K. Subban Honorable Mention (5 Votes) Ryan Ellis Honorable Mention (4 Votes) Jonathan Blum Honorable Mention (3 Votes) Alex Goligoski Joe Colbourne James Howard Jacob Josefsson Jonas Gustavsson Oscar Moller Michal Neuvirth Andrei Loktionov Patrick Wiercioch Scott Glennie Thomas McCollum Calvin de Haan Honorable Mention (2 Votes) Colton Teubert Tim Erixon John Moore Dustin Tokarski Derek Stepan Greg Nemisz Mike Murphy Brendan Smith Leland Irving Peter Regin Jake Gardiner Bob Sanguinetti Ryan McDonagh Honorable Mention (1 Vote) Kyle Palmieri Brandon Sutter Richard Panik Tyler Ennis Kiril Petrov David Rundblad Maxim Mayorov Patrice Cormier Chris Bourque Aaron Palushaj Keaton Ellerby Jeremy Morin Zack Kassian Jake Allen Robin Lehner Sergei Shirokov Keith Aulie Peter Holland Jason Demers Nick Petrecki Viktor Stahlberg Carl Klingberg Brandon MacMillan Eric Tangradi Cameron Gaunce Jeff Petry Travis Hamonic Kyle Beach Justin Abdelkader Adam Henrique Ivan Vishnevsky Tomas Tatar Dylan Olsen Maxim Goncharov Patric Hornqvist Jonas Junland Igor Bobkov __________________________________________________ __________ HFNHL Organizational Rankings 1. Montreal Canadiens Strengths: The Habs have a surplus of mobile puck moving dmen; Bogosian, Karlsson, Wiercioch, Ellerby, Gardiner, Hillen all very mobile and can move the puck. The Habs also have good depth and a solid all around prospect pool. This team is going to be very good in a couple of years. Weaknesses: They do lack of game-breaker up front, do not have that go to guy up front; Colborne, Glennie and Kreider are no slouches and either one could turn into a game breaker, however it is more likely they turn into quality offensive forwards. Top 10 Prospects: 1. Zach Bogosian (3) 2. Erik Karlsson (23) 3. Ondrej Pavelec (27) 4. Chris Kreider (46) 5. Scott Glennie (HM 3) 6. Joe Colbourne (HM 3) 7. Patrick Weircioch (HM 3) 8. Jake Gardiner (HM 2) 9. Keaton Ellerby (HM 1) 10. Cameron Gaunce (HM 1) 2. Columbus Blue Jackets Strengths: The only team to actually have Top 50 Honorable Mentions left off of their top 10; 12 in total for the Jackets. That speaks volumes to the high end depth that Doug Emerson has put together. There seems to be great balance to the pool too. Weaknesses: Hard to really pick a weakness, but if anything their separation from the Habs at number one was caused by their lack of a complete gamebreaking skating prospect. A lot of hardworking forward prospects, but not necessarily guys with tremendous upsides. With a possible top 3 pick in the 2010 draft, I'm guessing that Emerson is hoping to snag one of Taylor Hall or Tyler Seguin. Top 10 Prospects: 1. Semyon Varlamov (8) 2. Zach Boychuk (41) 3. Max Pacioretty (49) 4. Andrei Loktionov (HM 3) 5. Brendan Smith (HM 2) 6. Leland Irving (HM 2) 7. Derek Stepan (HM 2) 8. Ryan McDonagh (HM 2) 9. Dylan Olsen (HM 1) 10. Carl Klingberg (HM 1) 3. New York Islanders Strengths: The top end talent is off the chart. Tyler Myers and Tuukka Rask are going to step right into the Isles line up and play a large role next season. High end upside all over the place. I like the balance to the pool too. Weaknesses: Trades have depleted the pool a little bit from what it once was. Because of this, depth prevents the Isles from holding down one of the top 2 spots. Once you get down into the 10-15 spots, the pool gets pretty thin. Top 10 Prospects: 1. Tyler Myers (6) 2. Tuukka Rask (10) 3. Nikita Filatov (14) 4. Matias Tedenby (44) 5. Cody Franson (48) 6. Brandon Sutter (HM 1) 7. Kyle Beach (HM 1) 8. Ryan Stoa 9. Brett Sonne 10. Garrett Wilson 4. Phoenix Coyotes Strengths: With the likes of Dmitri Kulikov, Jon Blum, Bob Sanguinetti, Mark Katic, and Stefan Elliott, the Yotes will have no problem producing offense from the back end. Depth wise, the Coyotes are very solid too, with a bevy of quality prospects. Weaknesses: A lot rests on the shoulders on Cody Hodgson and whether he can get back into things. Outside of Hodgson, the team has few offensively gifted forward prospects. A lunch of lunch pail guys, but not a lot of upside. The Yotes could also use a real quality shut down defender. Top 10 Prospects: 1. Cody Hodgson (9) 2. Dmitri Kulikov (16) 3. Jonathan Blum (HM 4) 4. Bob Sanguinetti (HM 2) 5. Dustin Tokarski (HM 2) 6. Tyler Ennis (HM 1) 7. Justin Abdelkader (HM 1) 8. Matt Halischuk 9. Christian Hanson 10. Mark Katic 5. Los Angeles Kings Strengths: Offense from the back end certainly won't be a problem. Pietrangelo, Ellis, Goligoski and Junland provide the Kings with a very capable puck moving defensive unit. Some high skill forward prospects too. Weaknesses: Not really a significant goaltending prospect to be found. With the back up goaltending problems the Kings have had this season, a future goalie to push Cam Ward wouldn't hurt the system. The Kings could also stand to add a little size and sandpaper to their forward prospects. Top 10 Prospects: 1. Alex Pietrangelo (7) 2. Jamie Benn (28) 3. Derrick Brassard (29) 4. Ryan Ellis (HM 5) 5. Alex Goligoski (HM 3) 6. Oscar Moller (HM 3) 7. Jonas Junland (HM 1) 8. Jack Skille 9. Brad Marchand 10. Niklas Hjalmarsson 6. Anaheim Ducks Strengths: Although the Ducks' blueline corps graduated Matt Hunwick from last year's list, it still boasts a pretty formidable group of two-way puck-movers, led by Thomas Hickey and P.K. Subban. While the forward group still reflects the two-way sensibilities of a Gledhill-run team - most notably demonstrated by Ryan O'Reilly and Kevin Porter - there is also a distinct offensive element to be found in the likes of Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson, Michael Grabner, and Michal Repik. Weaknesses: While there are a couple of decent goaltending prospects to be found on the Ducks' prospect list (Martin Jones, Bradley Eidsness, Edward Pasquale), none of them qualifies as top-flight. Also, as in years past, the forward group tends to be a bit undersized, which puts a greater need on prospects like Nick Bonino and Taylor Beck to pan out. Top 10 Prospects: 1. Magnus Paarjarvi-Svensson (13) 2. Ryan O’Reilly (33) 3. Thomas Hickey (36) 4. P.K. Subban (50) 5. Michael Grabner 6. Michael Repik 7. Kevin Porter 8. Martin Jones 9. Taylor Beck 10. Ty Wishart 7. St. Louis Blues Strengths: The first thing I notice about the Blues prospect pool is their plethora of smart puck movers. I would categorize 6 of their top 10 in this way. I like the balance of the pool in general. Good prospects at every position, a mix of high risk, high reward, and your bigger, lunch pail type forwards. Weaknesses: Hard to pick a weakness from this pool, as it is so well rounded. But if I had to, I'd say the team lacks size on the blueline. That potentially dominating two way defenseman who could one day play on the Blues top pairing. Top 10 Prospects: 1. Lars Eller (30) 2. Evgeny Grachev (37) 3. Jhonas Enroth (47) 4. Calvin de Haan (HM 3) 5. Maxim Goncharov (HM 1) 6. Ian Cole 7. Jordan Caron 8. Chris Summers 9. Brendan Mikkelson 10. Aaron Ness 8. Toronto Maple Leafs Strengths: Just looking at the Leafs top 10, you can probably guess where I'm going. Any time you can have two potential top pairing defenseman prospects like OEL and Carlson, you're doing well. The future of the Leafs defense is definitely in their hands (and to a lesser extent Corrente's and Gilroy's). Weaknesses: I think the most obvious weakness of the system is in net. While Tomas Vokoun is still manning the pipe for the pro club, it's inevitable that he will decline in the next few years. What do the Leafs do then? Top 10 Prospects: 1. Oliver Ekman-Larsson (15) 2. John Carlson (21) 3. Nazem Kadri (31) 4. Matt Corrente 5. Tyler Bozak 6. Ethan Werek 7. Mathieu Perreault 8. Zack Budish 9. Jamie Arniel 10. Matt Gilroy 9. Nashville Predators Strengths: Having two top quality young netminders means a lot to this franchise. Former young star Kari Lehtonen just can't seem to stay healthy and put things together over the course of a few seasons. With Markstrom and Greiss, the Preds have major insurance. I also like the balance of the blueline which has a mix of offensively talented prospects and shut down defenders with size. Weaknesses: I think you have to look at the lack of a high end offensive player at forward. Some size, some skill, but the forward group really lacks a gamebreaker. Top 10 Prospects: 1. Jakub Markstrom (17) 2. Colton Teubert (HM 2) 3. Louis Leblanc 4. Jamie McGinn 5. Cody Golubef 6. Colton Gillies 7. John Negrin 8. Thomas Greiss 9. Luke Adam 10. Sami Vatanen 10. Detroit Red Wings Strengths: I really like the group of forward prospects the Wings have put together. A lot of high end skill, but also some edge, size, and grit. I also like size and defensive ability of the Wings future defense. No messing around there. Weaknesses: I really think you have to look at the lack of goaltending in the pipeline. King Henrik isn't going to be around forever. It doesn't hurt to have a quality young goalie in the system. I know Mr. Niece doesn't believe in drafting goalies high, but his method of drafting them late hasn't turned out any pure gems either. Top 10 Prospects: 1. Claude Giroux (11) 2. Luca Sbisa (40) 3. Jacob Josefsson (HM 3) 4. Brandon McMillan (HM 1) 5. Tyler Cuma 6. Gustav Nyquist 7. Landon Ferraro 8. Mike Santorelli 9. Ryan Wilson 10. Chris Terry 11. Florida Panthers Strengths: With Michal Neuvirth and Mike Murphy (on top of Jonathan Quick), the future of the Panthers goaltending is set. Like any Panthers prospect pool, I think you've got to talk about depth, which is matched by only a few squads in the league. Weaknesses: Outside of JVR, there doesn't appear to be much high end talent. A lot of solid prospects, but no one with the potential to play a large role. This is especially true on defense. A lot of depth, but no game breakers. Top 10 Prospects: 1. James Van Riemsdyk (5) 2. Michal Neuvirth (HM 3) 3. Mike Murphy (HM 2) 4. Spencer Machacek 5. Matt Donovan 6. Benn Ferriero 7. T.J. Brodie 8. Eric O’Dell 9. David Savard 10. Matt Clark 12. Chicago Blackhawks Strengths: Some quality top end talent for the Hawks, including a future franchise defenseman and goaltender. Marco Scandella is no slouch either, giving the Hawks a nice defense combination. Tyson Sexsmith provides even more depth in goal. Weaknesses: While Dryden Lewis has worked hard to replenish the teams prospect depth, I think there's still some work to be done. Also, while Tomas Tatar seems to have some potential, the team could really use another franchise quality forward prospect to help lead the team positively into the future. Top 10 Prospects: 1. Viktor Hedman (2) 2. Jonathan Bernier (19) 3. Tomas Tatar (HM 1) 4. Marcus Johansson 5. Marco Scandella 6. Cody Eakin 7. Mike Hoffman 8. Paul Postma 9. Tyson Sexsmith 10. Mikhail Stefanovich 13. Washington Capitals Strengths: Josh Howell has done a very solid job at improving the teams prospect pool, both through the draft and trade. The depth in particular is vastly improved. Up front, the team has a bevy of quality forward prospects, of course lead by franchise forward John Tavares Weaknesses: The team has a couple of quality defenseman prospects, however they need a future leader on the blueline. I think this is something Howell needs to address moving forward as he continues his rebuild. Top 10 Prospects: 1. John Tavares (1) 2. Kiril Petrov (HM 1) 3. Zac Dalpe 4. Matt Hackett 5. Brett MacLean 6. Colby Robak 7. Jamie McBain 8. Linus Omark 9. Phillippe Cornet 10. Justin Peters 14. Edmonton Oilers Strengths: With the graduation of TJ Oshie the Oilers top end prospect depth takes a huge hit. Jordan Eberle and Jonas Gustavsson both bring top end potential however both have possible roadblocks in size and health issues respectively. Forwards Anton Lander, Kenndal McArdle and Stefan Legein all have a shot to be solid role players. Simon Despres leads an unspectacular group on the blueline as a potential top 4 guy while Sami Lepisto and Taylor Chorney could be bottom pairing guys. Weaknesses: Much the same as last year, overall depth of the pool is a big issue. Outside of Eberle and Gustavsson the Oilers have no potential game breaking prospects. The addition of Gustavsson helps a very weak goalie pool but his health issues could leave all hopes on the shoulders of project player Igor Bobkov. Top 10 Prospects: 1. Jordan Eberle (22) 2. Jonas Gustavsson (HM 3) 3. Igor Bobkov (HM 1) 4. Simon Despres 5. Anton Lander 6. Zach Hamill 7. Michael Stone 8. Stefan Legein 9. Taylor Chorney 10. Robert Bortuzzo 15. Boston Bruins Strengths: With Kevin Shattenkirk and Slava Voinov, I think the future of the Bruins defense is in good hands. Both have high upsides as NHL defenders. Despite being perennial favourites in their Conference, the Bruins have done well to maintain a solid prospect pool. Weaknesses: I think you need to look at the teams lack of quality forward prospects. There are some solid guys who could play NHL roles, but the team lacks a potential gamebreaker. And while the Bruins have done well to maintain a solid top end group, their depth is hurting slightly and could use an infusion of new talent. Top 10 Prospects: 1. Cory Schenider (34) 2. Kevin Shattenkirk (43) 3. Aaron Palushaj (HM 1) 4. Peter Holland (HM 1) 5. Vyacheslav Voinov 6. Alex Hutchings 7. Corey Tropp 8. Cade Fairchild 9. Anton Gustafsson 10. Dustin Kohn 16. Calgary Flames Strengths: The biggest strength of the Flames system is the high end forward prospects the team has assembled. A good mix of speed, skill, size, and strength. The Flames do have some good goaltending depth too. Weaknesses: The Flames lack a high end defensive prospect, and general depth at the position. In terms of overall depth, The Flames unit has taken a bit of a hit over the past few years too. Top 10 Prospects: 1. Mikael Backlund (35) 2. Artem Anisimov (39) 3. Zack Kassian (HM 1) 4. Eric Tangradi (HM 1) 5. Alex Stalock 6. Kevin Connauton 7. Brian Dumoulin 8. James Reimer 9. Colton Sceviour 10. Anton Rodin 17. Colorado Avalanche Strengths: The Avs have a lot of high end forward prospects. While there is no guarantee that these players develop, the likes of Couture, Regin, Shirokov, Gerbe, and Silfverberg provide the team with some hope of finding a top 6 forward. The team has good goaltending depth too. Weaknesses: The biggest weakness lies on defense. Carl Sneep and Kris Berglund (amongst others in the pipeline) are solid prospects, but the Avs really lack a high end defensive prospect who is a sure bet to play a future role for the team. Top 10 Prospects: 1. Logan Couture (42) 2. Peter Regin (HM 1) 3. Robin Lehner (HM 1) 4. Sergei Shirokov (HM 1) 5. Nathan Gerbe 6. Carl Sneep 7. Kyle Clifford 8. Jakob Silfverberg 9. Kris Berglund 10. Mattias Ritola 18. New Jersey Devils Strengths: The Devils have really rebuilt their prospect pool over the course of the last year. Skater prospects are the strength of the Devils with a good mix of skill, grit, scoring and size. Some solid balance. Weaknesses: Depth, while improved, is still an issue. Had trouble rounding out the top 10. Also, goaltending talent is non existent, meaning the Devils should be focused on providing Marc Andre Fleury a little future relief. Top 10 Prospects: 1. Niklas Bergfors (25) 2. Jared Cowan (32) 3. Travis Hamonic (HM 1) 4. Jeremy Morin (HM 1) 5. Viktor Stalberg (HM 1) 6. Darren Helm 7. Nick Leddy 8. Angelo Esposito 9. Joel Chouinard 10. Jeff Penner 19. Carolina Hurricanes Strengths: The Canes are another team who've done well to improve their prospect pool this season. Having two franchise centerman in Duchene and Schenn goes a long way at putting this franchise back on track. Weaknesses: I'm not sold on Tim Erixon and Teddy Ruth as the teams future on the blueline. If Dion Ong can draft a franchise defenseman this year, the team will definitely be on the right track. Also adding to the teams depth will continue to be a goal. Top 10 Prospects: 1. Matt Duchene (4) 2. Brayden Schenn (18) 3. Tim Erixon (HM 2) 4. Carter Ashton 5. Teddy Ruth 6. Olivier Roy 7. Logan Pyett 8. Thomas Larkin 9. Joe Fallon 10. Tomas Vincour 20. Philadelphia Flyers Strengths: The future in goal for the Flyers is definitely set with NHL rookie James Howard and prospect Thomas McCollum. The team should find a future starter in one of them. At forward, the team has great depth in future goal scorers. Weaknesses: The biggest weakness is on defense where the Flyers really lack depth and high end talent. In 2010, this should be the main focus of new Flyers GM Alvaro Silvan. Top 10 Prospects: 1. Jordan Schroeder (38) 2. James Howard (HM 3) 3. Thomas McCollum (HM 3) 4. Richard Panik (HM 1) 5. T.J. Galiardi 6. Evgeny Dadonov 7. Oskars Bartulis 8. Vladimir Zharkov 9. Dana Tyrell 10. Andrew Gordon 21. Pittsburgh Penguins Strengths: Defense and lots of it. The Penguins have two top quality offensive blueline prospects and two top quality stay at home prospects; this makes up four of their top 5. Weaknesses: The team could really use a quality young franchise centerman. The team also needs to work on improving goaltending talent and depth. Top 10 Prospects: 1. Michael Del Zotto (26) 2. John Moore (HM 2) 3. Nick Petrecki (HM 1) 4. Drayson Bowman 5. Matt Pelech 6. Akim Aliu 7. Jimmy Hayes 8. Anders Nilsson 9. Derek Grant 10. Alex Grant 22. Minnesota Wild Strengths: Any Greg Dockus team has great character and grit and size and speed and that is represented by his prospect pool. Good top end talent in Kane and Alzner, supported by a bevy of good character prospects at every skater position. Weaknesses: Depth and quality in goal seems to be an issue, especially considering the Wild still don't have a goaltender of the NOW or future. Ben Bishop could still develop, but he seems to be a project more than anything. Top 10 Prospects: 1. Evander Kane (12) 2. Karl Alzner (24) 3. Nic Deschamps 4. Tim Kennedy 5. Brayden McNabb 6. Yannick Weber 7. Ben Bishop 8. Derek Joslin 9. Joel Broda 10. Yuri Alexandrov 23. New York Rangers Strengths:The Rangers have a solid group of future puck moving defenseman in Jakub Kindl, Shawn Lalonde, and Marc Andre Bourdon. Weaknesses: Colin Wilson hasn't had a very good first pro season and it has a lot of people wondering about his high end upside. Are the Rangers worried about him being their really only potential impact player? Also, the teams prospect depth has taken a hit in recent years and needs a replenishing. Top 10 Prospects: 1. Colin Wilson (20) 2. Chris Bourque (HM 1) 3. Riley Nash 4. Jakub Kindl 5. Shawn Lalonde 6. Riku Helenius 7. Marc Andre Bourdon 8. Carl Hagelin 9. Curtis McKenzie 10. Joakim Andersson 24. Vancouver Canucks Strengths: The Canucks have a very balanced crop of prospects. Solid prospects at every position. On defense, the team is especially strong with Demers, Petry and Eckford. These are all guys close to full time roles in the HFNHL (once Petry signs) Weaknesses: The Nucks do not have the prospect depth they once had, although it is improving. They also lack that really high potential impact forward. A lot of sandpaper and potential role players, but I'm sure Sean Keogh would love to add a high risk/high reward type of forward prospect this draft. Top 10 Prospects: 1. Jake Allen (HM 1) 2. Jason Demers (HM 1) 3. Kyle Palmieri (HM 1) 4. Jeff Petry (HM 1) 5. Tyler Eckford 6. Phillippe Paradis 7. Jerry D’Amigo 8. Daulton Leveille 9. Brandon Yip 10. Dan Sexton 25. San Jose Sharks Strengths: The Sharks have some interesting prospects on the horizon. A lot of heart and soul and players who will give their best effort out on the ice. The future of the Sharks PK could be in good hands. Weaknesses: Depth has become a bit of an issue as the Sharks continue to tinker with trades. The team also lacks a true franchise level prospect with the ability to bring fans to the arena and put the future of the team on his back. Top 10 Prospects: 1. Chet Pickard (45) 2. Ivan Vishnevsky (HM 1) 3. Maxim Mayorov (HM 1) 4. A.J. Jenks 5. Mitch Wahl 6. Jesse Joensuu 7. Mike Hoeffel 8. Keith Seabrook 9. Sergei Korostin 10. Scott Parse 26. Dallas Stars Strengths: I think the Stars have good depth and talent at the forward position in players like Greg Nemisz, Danny Kristo, Francois Bouchard and Erik Haula. Weaknesses: The weakness of the Stars' pool is the lack of a major impact player at any position. While it has many players who will be good role players and possible second liners it has no major player who will make a huge impact. Depth in the system is also an issue. Top 10 Prospects: 1. Greg Nemisz (HM 2) 2. David Rundblad (HM 1) 3. Danny Kristo 4. Francois Bouchard 5. Michael Hutchinson 6. Alex Plante 7. Mark Mitera 8. Michael Blunden 9. Erik Haula 10. Casey Borer 27. Tampa Bay Lightning Strengths: I like what the Lightning have accumulated at the forward position. Hornqvist and Wandell are already succeeding at the NHL level and look to have potential as top 9 players. With Salak and Stajcer, the Bolts have some goaltending skill and depth too. Weaknesses: Outside of Blake Kessel, there's really nothing to get excited about on defense, which has to concern GM Martin Sedin. Without a first rounder again this year, Tampa may not be able to acquire top end talent at the position. Top 10 Prospects: 1. Patric Hornqvist (HM 1) 2. Alexander Salak 3. Blake Kessel 4. Tom Wandell 5. Stefan Della Rovere 6. Carl Soderberg 7. Johan Harju 8. Andrei Kuchin 9. Scott Stajcer 10. Nick Larson 28. Buffalo Sabres Strengths: Goaltending depth is definitely the strength of the Sabres system. While the team doesn't really have a bluechipper, the quality of the depth is still there. One of Koskinen, Janus, Smith or Patterson should develop into an NHL level goaltender. Weaknesses: Gone are the days of the past where the Sabres prospect list was littered with bluechip, franchise players. No one on this list really has high end potential and that's why the list suffers in comparison to others. Obviously others in the league feel this way too since not a single prospect of the Sabres received top 50 consideration. Top 10 Prospects: 1. Colby Cohen 2. Shawn Matthias 3. Mikko Koskinen 4. Mark Barberio 5. Jaroslav Janus 6. Jeremy Smith 7. Jyri Niemi 8. Jacob Legace 9. David Ullstrom 10. Kent Patterson 29. Ottawa Senators Strengths: Some quality at the forward position, including some underrated potential top 6 forwards like Luca Caputi, Brandon Pirri, and Ryan Howse. Weaknesses: Top end talent is definitely an issue. As is depth, I had to reach for a player who's undrafted for their 10th best prospect. Top 10 Prospects: 1. Luca Caputi 2. James Wright 3. Brandon Pirri 4. Cory Emmerton 5. Ryan Howse 6. Brett Carson 7. Dannick Paquette 8. Jeff Costello 9. Mathieu Brodeur 10. Brennan Yadlowski 30. Atlanta Thrashers Strengths: I think you need to look at Keith Aulie as the strength of the system. But even he's had a disappointing start to his professional career. Weaknesses: Where to start really. Top end talent, depth at every position are definite problems. As a rebuilding team, and a team at the bottom of the standings, this type of prospect pool is somewhat concerning. Yes, the Thrashers have Doughty, Stamkos, and Voracek. But it takes more than a few talented players to build a team. Depth at the prospect level needs a serious boost otherwise the rebuild could last quite some time. Top 10 Prospects: 1. Keith Aulie (HM 1) 2. Tyler Ruegsegger 3. Christopher Didomenico 4. Taylor Ellington 5. Robin Figren 6. Brady Calla 7. Justin Falk 8. John Curry 9. David Skokan 10. Brett Leffler